Transparent-faced filing-card.



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WM v T No. 868,758. PATENTED 00122, 1907. J. A. BEXELL.

TRANSPARENT FAGED FILING CARD. APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

atto'znu o No. 868,758. PATENTED OCT. 22, 1907.

J. A. BEXELL. TRANSPARENT FAUED FILING CARD.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 21. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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No. 868,758. PATENTED OCT. 22, 1907. J. A. BEXELL.

TRANSPARENT PAGED FILING CARD,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 1.906.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

MIMI!!! Svwantoz JOHN A. BEXELL, or LOGAN, UTAH.

TRANSPARENT-FACE!) FILING-CARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application filed May 21, 1906. Serial No. 318,048.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Join: A. BEXELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Logan, in the county of Cache and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Transparent-Faced Filing-Cards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention facilitates the keeping of accounts in systems in which the bills, papers or like devices containing a brief statement are stored either in boxes, books or other forms of holders.

This invention contemplates a card or pocket having a transparent-face through which the account upon a ticket or slip, may be read without necessitating removal of such slip from the card or pocket. The liling cards or pockets are intended to be indexed or so arranged as to admit of any particular account being quickly found, the indexing being of any approved method generally adopted in the filing of papers, cards and the like for future ready reference.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions by changes in the structure and minor details without departing from the spirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filing card embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section th'creof on the line of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the card on the line yy of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a modified form of guard, the same being reinforced by means of a spring. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a modification, having the front and back and the guard formed of the same piece of sheet material and having an index slip detachably fitted to the guide or extension of the back. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section of the modification shown in Fig. 5 on the line zz. Fig. 7 is a further modification showing the filing card provided with stop extensions and having its front open and adapted to be protected either by crossed wires or transparent material or both. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on th e line 99 of Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a vertical transverse section 0.1 the line 10-l0 of Fig. 7. Figs. 11, 12 and 13 show further modifications.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The filing card is of such construction as to provide a pocket for reception of bills, tickets or slips bearing the account or other matter to be stowed away for future reference. In its organization the card comprises a back 1 and a front 2, and these parts may be of separate or integral formation and may "be formed from any material, either of like or different nature. The back 1 is usually of press or cardboard, whereas the front 2 is of some transparent material, such as mica, celluloid, gelatin or like material. In the event of the back and front being of separate pieces, they may be secured at one end and at opposite edges in any convenient and economical manner, and in the case of the back and front being constructed of the same piece of sheet material, the latter is folded upon itself and the folded portions are secured in any manner and along two of the remaining three edges. The back is somewhat longer than the front to provide a guide 3 at the upper end of the pocket to facilitate the entrance of bills and other papers to be placed in the pocket for safe keeping. The guide 3 is also adapted to receive indicating matter, both for indexing and for determining the general heading of the bills or papers placed in the pocket of the card. The general indexing and identifying matter may be provided directly upon the face of the guide 3, or may be written or printed upon a slip 4 which has its end portions passed through slits 5 formed inthe guide 3 near opposite ends thereof. The latter construction admits of the slips 4 being cheaply and quickly substituted by others when it is required to change the matter according to the nature of the papers to be placed in the pockets of the cards. It is not essential that the entire front of the pocket be transparent as in some instances a frame or marginal portion 6 may surround an opening which is provided with transparent material in the nature of a panel. The frame or marginal portion 6 may be a part of the back, having edge portions folded, or said frame may be provided in any manner. The opening surrounded by the frame or marginal portion 6 may be protected by transparent material of any nature, or be supplied with line cross wires 7 which act as a guard to retain the papers within the pocket of the card without interfering with ready observation of the matter inscribed ther'eon it has been found expedient to provide means to press the papers placed in the pocket close against the open face thereof, and for this purpose a flap 8 is arranged within the pocket and springs outward from the back thereof and presses lightly against the face, so as to hold a bill, slip or the like in intimate contact with the open or transparent'face of the pocket or card. The flap 8 also acts as a guard to prevent displacement of the paper or slips placed in the pocket, and also serves in the capacity of a guide to give proper direction to the papers when inserting the same in the open end of the pocket. The flap or guard 8 may be an integral part of the material comprising the filing card or may be separate from either the front or the back and secured to the latter in-any manner. When the nature of the construction is such as to admit of the flap 8 being an integral part of the material comprising a part of the filing card, said flap is formed by partly severing a portion of the material from the back and folding the same upon itself. In order that the flap may not lose its resiliency, it is proposed to reinforce the folded end. by means of a light spring which is constructed of exceedingly fine spring wire having one end attached to the flap and theopp osite end may be fixed to the back, said spring normally serving to cause the flap to press against the inner side of the front 2, so as to hold a bill or slip in position to be easily and conveniently read without necessitating its removal from the pocket of the card.

Transparent or open faced filing cards constructed in accordance with the invention may be filed in book form or in boxes, or holders of. any nature, and may be indexed and otherwise designatedto facilitate locating a particular account, and since boxes or drawers are the most common form of holders, it is proposed to construct the cards in their special adaptation for holders of this kind, hence the cards are provided at their lower corners with outer extensions 10 which may be provided in any manner and which are adapted to prevent displacement or casual removal of the cards by the opposite extensions 10 engaging with inwardly extended ledges along the upper edges of the sides of the boxes or like form of holder. The extensions 10 constitute stops to prevent displacement of the cards when drawn upward to observe the matter inscribed upon the bill or slip contained in the pocket thereof. In the modification shown in Fig. 11, the back 1 is protected at its upper end by means of a reinforcement 11, the same consisting of a strip pasted or otherwise attached to the back, said reinforcement in the preferable form being doubled 'upon itself and embracing opposite sides of the back. The. front 2 is likewise strengthened at its upper edge by means of a reinforcement 12 which consists of a strip attached thereto and having its end portions folded about the edges of the back 1 and gummed to the rear side thereof. The front 2 has its bottom and opposite edge portions folded about the corresponding edges of the back 1 and pasted to the rear "side thereof.

In the construction shown in Fig. 12, the edges, as Well as the bottom of the card, are reinforced by means of stays 13 and 14, thesame being pasted or otherwise attached thereto and serving to reinforce both the back and the front and the joint formed between said parts. A wire is fitted to the lower end of the card and opposite end portions project to form extensiofis 15 corresponding to the extensions 10 shown in Fig. 7 and for the same purpose. The stay or reinforcing strip 14 is folded about the lower end of the card and the wire is inserted in the fold, hence the strip 14, in addition to the functions stated, also serves to retain the wire in place.

The modification shown in Fig. 13 is somewhat similar to the structure shown in Fig. 7, that is, the front consists of an open frame 16 and a transparent portion 17, the frame part 16 being secured at its bottom and sides to corresponding parts of the back 1 by means of paper clips 18 or like fastenings. The upper end of the frame portion 16 is reinforced by means of a stay piece 19.

The transparent material employed in the formation of the front may consist of mica, celluloid, gelatin, transparent cloth, parchment, paper and the like, so long as it admits observation of the papers filed in the pocket of the card without necessitating the withdrawal thereof.

It is observed that the flap 8 springs from the back 1 some distance below the top edge of the front 2 and since the upper edge of said flap or guard 8 lies close against the front 2 and tends to spring away from the back 1. papers or slips inserted in the pocket are prevented from passing to the rear of those already filed, because should such papers be inserted into the pocket between the flap 8 and the pocket 1 they are prevented from passing to the bottom of the pocket when coming in contact with the lower end of the flap joining the back, hence it is incumbent upon the party filing the papers or slips to withdraw the same and properly insert them in front of the flap or guard. When pressing the projecting end of the flap backward, the papers previously filed will likewise move inward and enable the papers last placed in position to come in front of those previouslyfiled so as to lie against the open or transparent frontwhere they maybe readily observed. The tendency of the flap or guard 8 to spring outward also enables space to be taken up so that the cards will normally tend to occupy an upright position. served that the flap or guard 8 either springs from or makes connection with the back at some distance below the opening to the pocket, therefore the projecting end of the flap must be repressed preliminary to inserting a paper slip or the like into the pocket for filing.

The elements 7 extended across the open or transparent part of the front may consist of threads or filaments of metal or fiber of any kind and they may be used independently of or in connection with transparent material. When the transparent material consists of paper, the filaments or threads 7 prevent tearing of the same when subjected to severe usage or strain. The reinforcement 12 or 19 at the upper end of the transparent front receives the wear and strain when -opening the pocket to place slips, papers or the like Having thus described the invention, whatis claimed as new is:

1. A filing card having a pocket upon one side and having a wall of said pocket open or made transparent to admit of the contents being observed, and strands or filaments extended across the open or, transparent side of the pocket to strengthen and protect the same.

2. A filing card having a pocket upon one side and having a wall of said pocket open or made transparent to admit of the contents being observed. and crossed strands or filaments extended across the open or transparent side of the pocket to strengthen and protect the same.

It is ob- 3. .A filing card having: a pocket upon one side and a. flap springing from the card at some distance from the open end of the pocket and normally springing away from the back of the card and exerting a .pressure against the [root thereof, the upper portion of the flap projecting a short distance beyond the top edge of said front.

4. A filing card comprising a pocket and a transparent front. :1 [lap having connection with the back a distane below the upper edge of the front and normally springing away from said back and exerting a pressure against the front and having a portion extended above the upper edge thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. BEXELL. [12,. s.] Witnesses LEO NInLsnN, J. S. CAMPBELL. 

